Page-end-margin indicator



Jan. 17, 1928. l 1,656,428

` N. DelscH PGE END MARGIN INDICATOR Filed Dec. 21, "1925 2 sheets-sheet1 .1an.17,1928. ,I 1,656,428

N. DEISCH Pmi: END MARGIN INDICATOR md Dec. 21, 1925 2 sheets-snee: 2

FIG. Flc 2 ld INVENlToR.-

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Patented Jan. 17, 192s.

l UNITED STA NOEL maison, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA.

liAGE-END-MABGIN INDICATOR.

Application led December 21, 1925. Serial No. 76,768.

The present invention relates to typewriters, and'particularly to pageend indicators therefor, for thepurpose of indicating or announcing theapproach of the end of the page in order that the desired margin at thefoot thereof may be'provided for, without resorting to the necessityof'rotating the platen backwardly to'examine how near the typewritinghas approached the end of the page.

It is one object of the invention to provide such a page end indicatorfor typewriters which is adjustable for various widths of bottom marginsand which indicates accurately the moment vwhen the typewriting shouldbe stopped in order to leave the desired margin. l

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a devicewhich embodies means whereby it is automatically actuated. I A stillfurther object of the invention is to provide apage end indicator whichis so arranged that it will not cause any injuryto the paper beingwritten upon and which permits of the free and unobstructed insertion ofthe paper preliminary to typewriting thereon. It is found in practicefor various reasons, such as not being adjustable for various widths ofage end margins, or because they require to be set each time a sheet ofpaper is inserted in the machine, or because they cause 'scoring orother damage to the paper by reason of the fact that they exert too muchpressure on the sheet, or because they are too complicated in const-ruc-`tion to be commercially usable. It is a still further obj ect of thepresent invention to obviate the above enumerated and other diiiicnltiesheretofore encountered and to provide a device of the class describedwhich will be relatively` simple in construction, reliable in operation,and which willnot cause )a er. f j 1- gtill other objects and advantagesof the invention will appear from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, which illust-rate a preferredembodiment thereof, but which that many page end indicators arecommercially -impracticable marking, scoring 4or other defacing of theare not to be taken as a denition of the limits of the invention,reference being had to the appended claims for that purpose.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 isa side elevation of one preferred embodiment of the inventionshowing the page end indicator lever set in one position, and thestriker hammer for the announcing or indicating belhset in position tostrike;

1 Fig. 2 is a similar view partly broken away' andshowing ythe parts inanother position, the striker hammer being in the position which itoccupies after bein released, and the indicator setting lever eingchanged from one position to another;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 and alsoillustrating one end of -the platen, the mar n indicating or settinglever being shown 1n its vertical position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged axial perspective view of the release assembly;

Fig. 5 is a dia rammatic side elevation of the release assem ly andillustrating the action of forces therein;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of themargin inv dicating or setting leverand the release assembly;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one preferred embodiment` of an automaticsetting device fonsetting the ratchet member carrying the strikinghammer;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing another preferred embodiment ofautomatic means for setting the ratchet member and particularlyillustrating the first of three successive phases in its action; i Fig.9 is a similar view in Fig. 8 and illustrating the position of the ofthe parts shown ,i

parts in the second phase of their action in setting the ratchet member;

Fig. 10 is asimilar view of the same parts showing their position in thethird phase of their action;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of one face of a cam member associated withthe automatic ratchet setting mechanism of Figs. 8, 9,

f and 10; v

Fig. 12 isa front elevation illustrating the 'cam member of Fig. 11 andshowing its position on the end of the platen.

" .Referring in detail to the drawings and articularly to Figs. 1 to 6inclusive, a fixed ell 9 is arranged to be struck by a hammer or strikercarried at the end of a rod 11 fixed to the ratchet member 12. Theratchet member 12 is rotatably mounted by means vof .the sleeve 17 onthe platen end plate sleeve 18 on the-platen shaft 13 and is providedwith the arcuate ratchet 14 around part of its periphery and with theactuating lever arm 15 having at its end a fiat portion 16 by which itmay be depressed. The ratchet member 12 is constantl urged in thedirection of the ar row A, ig. 1, by means of a spring 19 whichl has oneof its ends fixed in the carriage frame 1 and its other end fixed in theratchet member 12. It will be evident from 'Fig 1 that the ratchet 12 ispressed downwardly by means of the fiat portion 16 for the purpose ofmoving the striker or hammer' 10 in`- position to strike the bell 9, atthe' pro er moment.

.Libans are provided by the invention'v for maintaining the rachet 12 inthe set position until the desired moment and then automaticallyreleasing it to cause the striker 10 to strike thebell 9, includingmechanism for variably positioning said means to cause the announcingdevice to be actuated when the writing has approached as far towardthe'page end as desired, thepage end indieating mechanism being capableof being set to in icate margins of different widths.

Referring in detail to the preferred form of striker release y mechanismherein embodied, a lever 22 (see Figs; 6, 1, 2, 3 and 4) is providedintermediate its ends with an elongated slot 23 b which it is mountedupon the platen s aft 13 which passes through said slot. At its upperend the lever 1s provided with a flat portion 24 by which it may bedepressed and rotated about the platen shaft 13. Fixed to the lever 22is a stud 25 extending laterally therefrom, the purpose of which willpresently appear. Adjacent oneface of the lever 22 and mountedforrelative rotation with res e'ct to the platen shaft 13 is a collar 26which has affixed thereto one end ofancoil sprin 27 whichA has itsother` end 28 fixed to the ever 22, the effect of the spring 27 being tourge .the lever 22 upwardly -so that the platen shaft 13 willnormally'be located at the bot' tom of the slot 23. j l

A sector 33 is fixed to the carriage frame 1 by means such as screws 34and is provided on itsinner periphery with a,4 series-of' notches 35which are preferably indicated -by numbers on the face of the sector, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2. The pin 25 on the4 lever 22 is normally locatedin-one of the slots 35 and may be moved from one notch to another bypressing downwardly on the fiat portion' 24 of lever 22 for the purpose4of dlsengaging holding the the pin 25 from the notch in which it ma belocated, and then rotating the lever in either direction about theplaten shaft 13 until the pin 25 is brought o posite to the desirednotch, whereupon the at portion 24 of lever 22 is released, and the pin25 is' then caused automatically to move into the selected notch bymeans of the coil sprin 27.

Carried preferably at one end of the ever 22.is a striker releasemechanism (see particularly Fig. 4). This mechanism, in the presentpreferred form of the invention, includes a member adapted at certaintimes to bear on and be controlled b a age inserted in the machine, thismem er being shown and hereinafter referred to as a pivoted de- 'lavtent arm 42, which at one phase 0f its operation bears on the paper 43and whichm another phase of its operation is adapted to enter theannular groove 44 located at the e'nd of the platen 45, as shown inFig.3. The detent 42 is formed with a sleeve 46 by means of which it ismounted on the arbor 47 which is. fixed inand projects laterally fromthe lower end of the lever 22. The

sleeve 46 has formed thereon and projecting therefrom in a direction oposite to the deloo of the arm 48. A coil spring 56 surrounds .Y thearbor 47 and has one of its ends fixed to-l said arbor nearest the lever22 and has its othenend fixed in or to the pawl 53, and is mally toraise the pawl 53 and also to raise the arm 48 through the pin 54 whichis fixed to the lower part of the pawl 53 and abuts against the bottomof the arm 48. It will be obvious that as the detent42 is located on theopposite side of the sleeve 46 from the arm 48, the tendcy of the spring56 is nor mally to lower said detent 42.

Means are rovided by the invention for etent 42 out of the annulargroove 44'during the insertion of the aper 43.i n the machine for thepurpose o preventing an tearing or scoring of the paper which mig totherwise occur; and for causing the detent42 to bear upon the paper 43after tit has been inserted,

said detent will be urged by the mechanism hereinbefore and herelnafterdescribed, into the groove 44 for the purpose of releasing the si alingdevice to ,warn theI operator that t e typewrit'ng. has .approached theso that when the end of the paper 43 passes by the detent 42,l

coiled under tension so that it tends norbottom of the page to the pointwhere exactly the desired margin is left, so that the paper can beremoved from the machine and a new sheet inserted. When in its normalposition the detent 42 is held a slight distance away from the platen 45by the spring 56, so that the paper in entering the machine does notcome into Contact with the detent 42 and does not have to lift any kindof lever. This is an `important feature of the invention, sinceindenting or tearing of the edge of the paper is thereby avoided. Nopressure is exerted 011 the paper until the de,- tent 42 is made todescend on the paper through springing back or setting the ratchetmember.

Certain mechanism is associated with the lever 22 and parts carriedthereby, which, when released, causes the signal to be operated, and inthe present embodiment of the invention this mechanism includes theratchet member 12 hereinbefore described 'carrying thev striker hammerand normally urged (as viewedv in Figs. 1 and 2) in acounterclockwisedirection by the spring 19. The ratchet member 12 is pivoted by means ofthe sleeve 17 on the platen end plate sleeve 13011 the platen shaft 13adjacent the lever 22 and So arranged that the pawl 53 is adapted toengage the ratchet'teeth 14, as shown in-Fig. 1.

It will be noted that the device thus far described is set manually,that is, the striker mechanism yis set for each page inserted 1n themachine by depressing the arm 15 of `the ratchet member 12 by means ofthe fiat portion 16 on the end thereof. The operation of this mechanismmay be briefly described as follows:

The operator having determined the amount of page end margin it isdesired to leave on any sheet or group of sheets, depresses the lever 22and rotates it in either direction until rthe pin 25is brought oppositeand under the desired notch 35 to cause the signal to be o erated at theproper moment. The signa may be set to indicate when a relatively smallpage end margin has been left by setting the lever opposite one of thelower numbered notches on the arcuate sector 33, as it appears in Figs.1

the notches at the right-hand side of said sector, as it appears inFigs. 1 and 2; and a,

clockwise direction (as these parts appear in the drawing), thus causingone or more of the ratchet teeth 14 to ride over the pawl 53;

which falls' behind one of the ratchet teeth, as shown in Fig. 1, andholds the ratchetin position as long as the paper 43 holds the detent 42out of the annu ar groove 44 in the end of the platen. When the end ofthe y ly with it the pawl 53, which, as soon as it Y clears the ratchetteeth with which it is engaged, releases the ratchet member 12,permitting said ratchet member/to rotate 1n a' counterclockwisedirection under the action of spring 19 and causincr the hammer 10 tostrike the bell 9 and thus indicate to the operator that the typewritinghas approached just near enough toward the bot` tom ofthe page to leavethe desired margin.

It will be obvious that the detent 42 will not enter the groove 44- 'aslong as it is prevented from doing so b the paper 43, and referring toFic'. 5 of the drawmgsand to theI followinI detailed explanation, itwill likewise be obvious that the spring pressure on the ratchet 12causes the pawl 53 to be released from said ratchet the moment the paper43 has moved far enough to permit the detent 42 to enter the annulargroove 44 f in the .end of the platen.v If the arrow F represents thedirection of the resultantof the force of the ratchet tooth acting onthe pawl 53, than a force 0a will be exerted on the pawl 53, causing itto maintain its position with respect to arm 48, and a force '0b will beexerted tending to turn the assembly 42, 48, 53,50 as to cause thedetent 42 to exert a pressure on the paper. Normally (i. e., when thereis no paper in the machine and the striker is released) the detent andpawl l assemblyis maintained in the position shown in Fig. 4` throughthe action of the spring 56. The pressure exerted on the paper by thedetent can obviously be made of any desired minimum value by determiningthel ratio of theturning moment of the striker spring 19 to the releasespring 56, as also by determining the distance ob.

The initial downward movement of the lever 22, when it is being set fora predetermined margin, also carries the pawl 53 out of engagement withthefratchet, allowing its movement to any new position on the ratchet.

From this it is plain that the device can be set for anew Width ofmargin irrespective of whether there be paper on the platen or not, or.whether the ratchet member has been previously set or not. The width ofmargin at the page end is of course controlled by the circumferentialdistance of the outer end of the detent 42 from the type imp ri`nt' inline.

In the form of setting mechanism above described, the striker mechanismis sprung hack or set by hand. The invention valso contemplates andincludes automatic methods and means for performing this function, whichwill now be described. In one form of automatic means for this purpose,shown in Fig. 7, a lever 63 is rotatably mounted on a fixed pivot 64secured ato the machine frame, and the lever 63 carries at its other enda roller 65 adapted vto bear upon the platen 45, this constructionspecifieally'formmg no part of the present invention, but being a deviceapplied as part of the stand- `ard equipment of some machines for the Ipurpose of maintaining the paper closely pressed on the platen. Ininsertlng a sheet of paper in the machine, the lever 63 must be drawnback manually by pressing on the end 66 of a lever 67 fixed to andprojecting from the pivoted arm or lever 63. In ac-4 cordance with thepresent invention, means are provided for utilizing this action for thepurpose of eiiectin the setting of the ratchet member 12 hereina ovedescribed. For this purpose, a connection is provided between thepivot-ed lever 63 and the ratchet 12, said connection including an arm69 pivotally mounted at one of its ends at 70 to the pivoted lever 63and provided with a pin 72 at its other end which enters an arcuate'slot 73.provided in the ratchet member 12. On drawing back the lever 63for the purpose of inserting paper in the machine, the arm 69 is drawnback also and carries with it by means of, the pin 72,the ratchet member12, whereupon one or more 'of the' ratchet teeth ride over the pawl 53which engages one of the ratchet teeth and holds the ratchet in the set'position as hereinbefore described. When the lever 63 is released, itreturns to its original osition with the roller 65 bearing on the p aten45, and during this return movement the pin 72 rides forwardly in theslot 73 provided in the ratchet 12 without, however, moving the ratchet,which is held by the pawl 53, the pin 72 merely moving 'to a position atthe other end of the slot. When the ratchet 12 is released bythemechanism hereinabove described, the ratchet 12 rotates partially on theplaten shaft 13 carrying with 1t the striker hammer and operating thesignal, and during this motion the pin 72 remains Vstationary Y whilethe ratchet 12 with its slot 73 rotates, thus' causing the in 72 at theend 'of this rotary motion to e in the left-hand end of the slot asshown in Fig. 7. It will be. seen that the setting of the strikinmechanism is thus automatically accomp shed in one of the alreadynecessar actions of operating the machine, and wit out any furtherattention or thought whatever on the part of the operator.

he invention cludes a further automatic setting arrangement for theratchet 12, and in a preferred form thereof thisI setting isaccomplished through a cam and lever action in the process or' turningor rotating the platen when a sheet of aper is being inserted in themachine. This form of the invention is illustrated Vin Figs. 8 to l2inclusive. r

As shown, a cam 84 is provided with a cam surface 85 and is attachedbyscrews to, or mayl be integral with, t-he end of the platen 45. Avstud 87 rides on the cam surface 85 and is fixed in the free end of alever 88 which is pivoted at 89 to the` A second stud. 90.-

seen in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the stud 87 will gradually be lifted by thecam 85 and caused to move toward the platen shaft 13, thus raising thelever 88 and the second stud 90 carried by said lever, and causing saidstud 90 to engage with the lug 91 formedon the ratchet member 12, thusrotating the ratchet in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fi s. 8, 9andlO, and causing one or more of t e ratchet teeth to ride over thepawl 53, thus settin the ratchet member.V

Mec anism is provided to prevent the setting action of t e lever 88 frombein repeated` after the ratchet member has n set, and also to preventinterference with the free action of the ratchet member when it isreleased for the purpose of causing the striker hammer to operate. Thismechanism as shown may include an open space 96 in the cam surface 85,which 1s formed,

as shown in Fig. 11, with a substantiall radial surface 97, down whichthe stud 8 rides (see Figs. 9 and 10) to cause it to ride clear of thecam surface 85 after the ratchet member 12 has been set. A supplementarylever arm g8 is erdptl'jided to turn on the ivot 89 an is ur a spri 99 ainst E pin 100 fixed on theylever 8l81gso thgt lthe arm 98 and lever V88ordinaril move together. A pin 101 is fixed inv e freeend of the arm 98and is adapted at one stage of its operation to engage a short camshapedsurface 102 .formed on the ratchet member 12.

The complete action of the mechanism shown in Fi .8 to 12 inclusive isas follows: In Fig. 8 t e cam 85 is just e moved to its hig est point bythe rotation of the cam surface 85 caused by the notation of the platen,and the ratchet member 12 has ngaglng' the 'stud 87. In Fi 9. the stud87 has been thus, through the engagement of the pin 90 with the lug91'ion the ratchet, been brought to its set position. In Fig. 10 thestud 87 has been released after further rotation of the platen and thecam 84, and 1s clear of the cam surface 85 and occupies a position belowthe lowest point of travel of the cam. The supplementary lever arm 98 isurged against the pin 100 by the spring 99 and when the lever 88 hasmoved to its lowest position as shown in Fig. 10, the supplementarylever arm 98 prevents the stud 87 from falling to a lower point by theengagement of the stud 101 with the cam surface 102 on the ratchetlmember.. When the ratchet member is released from the pawl 53, causingthe hammer to strike the bell, this rotary movement of the ratchetmember lmoves 'the cam surface 102 against the pin 101, lifting saidlever 98 by means of said pin to the position shown in Fi .8, thusbringing the lever 88 back to its initial position. If the ratchetmember 12 should be released at a time when the cam 84 is in such aposition that the stud 87 is not opposite to the open space 96, but isoutside of and below the cam surface, thus preventing the cam 85 from`raising the pin 87 and with it the lever 88, then the auxiliary leverarm 98 will be lifted by engagement of its stud 101 with the cam surface102 on the ratchet member, thereby lmovin away from the pin`100 and bvmeans of t e spring 99 urging the stud 87 against the lower bottomperipheral surface of the cam 85, and in this way placing the lever 88under spring tension. This causes the stud 87 to enter the opening 96 asi routine of operating the machine.`

soon as this opening comes opposite to the stud 87 in the course of therotation of the cam 84. At this moment, ur ed by the sprin 99, the `stud8.7 is returned toits orlgina position shown in Fig. 8.

This/mechanism therefore provides for the automatic operation of themargin indicating mechanism, in such a waythat it is set withoutattention on the part ofthe operator of the machine, by the mere andordinary It will be seen that, by the mechanism herein described, theinvention rovides a page end mar in indicator which 1s simple in itsmechanicalZ construction; which provides for the free and unobstructedinsertion of the paper into the machine, without causing any part orparts to bear on the paper l while it is beinginserted, therebyeliminatlng all danger of tearing or scoring or otherwise marking ordefacing the paper, an indicator which can be readily set to 1nd1cate ofdifferent' depth; and which may, 1f devsired, be entirely automaticallyset and actuated by the normal and ordinary movements ofstandardtypewriting machine parts.

It will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be madein the construction described without de arting from the invention vasdefined byv t e appended claims.

What is claimed is:- y

1. A page end margin indicator mechanism for a writing machine having aplaten, including a signal, means including a detent variablypositionable circumferentially aboutV cater mechanism including asignal,` meansv including a detent variably positionablecircumferentially about said platen and coop-i erating therewith andcontrolled by a page in the machine on which it lbears for operatingsaid signal to indicate when the writing approaches a predetermineddistance toward the page end, and means for setting saiddetent to causeit to bear on said age after it has been inserted in the mac ine, saidsetting means bein associated with and automatically operate atingmechanism in said machine.

3. A page. end marginv indicator mechanism for writing machinesincluding a signal, variably positionable means including a detentcontrolled by a page in the machine for operating said signal toindicate when the writing approaches a predetermined distance toward thepage end, means for variably positioning said detent to cause-it toindicate a selected amount of margin, means associated with said signaloperatlng means normally urging said detent into a position to provideclearance for the insertion of a page into the machine, and means forsetting said detent to cause it to bear on a age after it hasbeeninserted in the mac ine, said setting means being releasable by saiddetent to operate said signal, and, when released, ermitting said urgingmeans to move said detent into clearance position.

4. A page end margin indicator mechanism for writing machines, includinga signal, variably positionable means includin a detent controlled by apage in the machine for operating said signal to indicate when thewritingV approaches a redetermined distance toward t e fpage en meansfor' varying the amount o margin to be indicated by variably andselectively positioning said deby standard opertent, means associatedwlth said signal operi' said machine for setting sai detent to cause itto bear on a page `after it isinsertedinto the machine, said settingmeans belng releasable by said detent to operate said'signal,

,and, when released, permitting said urgmg 'automatically moving saiddetent means away from ratchet engaging position.

6. A page end margin indicator mechanism for Writing machines includinga signal, signal operating means including a ratchet member, variablypositionable detent means controlled by a page in the machine andadapted to engage and hold said ratchet inname' member and to release`itat a predetermined moment, lever means carrying said detent -means formoving said detent means to any one of a plurality of positions, saidlever means, upon being operated, automatically,

moving said. detent means out of ratchet engaging position.

7. A page end. margin indicator mechanism forwriting'machines includinga signal, signal operatin means lincluding a ratchet member, varia 1ypositionable detent means controlled by a page in the machineand'adapted'to engage and hold said ratchet member and to release saidratchet member at a predetermined moment, lever means for moy'ing'saiddetent'means to any one of a plurality of positions, locking meansengaging said lever means and guiding said lever means to move saiddetent means out of ratchet engaging position ivhile it is being set.

In testimony` whereof I affix my signature.

` NOEL` DEISCH.

